Carl / Stiller / Junior, 1910

Commentary›Ludwig Hohlwein München‹ was, from 1910, a proper brand. His posters were of a unique elegance and power, his generally figurative, decorative designs often exorbitant. It quickly became clear: Hohlwein was the illustrator for upper class consumers. He could present luxury goods and a life of luxury with a natural grace like no other. The structure of his composition came from a surface which he generally sought to break up with organic structures, seemingly there by chance, which he then stratified like scenery in a theatre. In this combination he was both exponent of a contemporary poster design and at the same time capable of giving a product an image. He dominated poster development in Munich, was courted, cigarettes and chocolates were named after him - he was the ›Painter-Prince‹ among poster designers. His influence on national and international poster development cannot be underestimated. Hohlwein was one of the few to succeed in preserving his name as a brand even after the First World War.

›Ludwig Hohlwein München‹ was, from 1910, a proper brand. His posters were of a unique elegance and power, his generally figurative, decorative designs often exorbitant. It quickly became clear: Hohlwein was the illustrator for upper class consumers. He could present luxury goods and a life of luxury with a natural grace like no other. The structure of his composition came from a surface which he generally sought to break up with organic structures, seemingly there by chance, which he then stratified like scenery in a theatre. In this combination he was both exponent of a contemporary poster design and at the same time capable of giving a product an image. He dominated poster development in Munich, was courted, cigarettes and chocolates were named after him - he was the ›Painter-Prince‹ among poster designers. His influence on national and international poster development cannot be underestimated. Hohlwein was one of the few to succeed in preserving his name as a brand even after the First World War.